August 14, 2025. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a significant victory for workers’ rights in Renteria-Hinojosa v. Sunsweet Growers, Inc. The published decision ensures that employees covered by union contracts can still pursue claims under California’s robust labor laws, rather than being forced into federal court where remedies may be more limited.
Case Background
Annamarie Renteria-Hinojosa, a former Sunsweet Growers employee, filed two lawsuits in California state court alleging multiple violations of the state’s Business and Labor Codes. Her claims included unpaid wages, overtime violations, failure to provide sick leave and meal breaks, inadequate seating, and workplace retaliation. She also brought a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) action on behalf of other affected employees.
Sunsweet attempted to remove (and ultimately dismiss) both cases to federal court, arguing that federal labor law preempted Renteria-Hinojosa’s state law claims because she was covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Teamsters union.
The Ruling
The Ninth Circuit rejected Sunsweet’s preemption arguments and affirmed the district court’s decision to send the cases back to California state court, where they belong. The court ruled that:
- Renteria-Hinojosa’s claims arose from California state law protections, not from the union contract
- Resolving her claims would not require interpreting disputed terms in the collective bargaining agreement
- Employers cannot force cases into federal court simply by invoking union contracts as defenses
- PAGA claims remain protected from federal preemption
The decision is significant because it prevents employers from circumventing California’s employee-friendly labor laws by removing cases to federal court.
“This is a tremendous victory not just for our client, but for all California workers,” said Glenn A. Danas, chair of Clarkson Law Firm’s Appellate and Employment practice groups, who argued the case before the Ninth Circuit. “Employers cannot use collective bargaining agreements as shields to deny workers access to California’s strong labor protections. This decision ensures that state courts remain available to enforce the rights that California has guaranteed to all workers.”
The case is Renteria-Hinojosa v. Sunsweet Growers Inc., case numbers 23-3379 and 23-4335, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
